NEWS
Abiodun Approves N77,000 as Minimum Wage in Ogun
From Ekundayo Idowu, Abeokuta
Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun has approved the sum of N77,000 as the minimum wage for the lowest worker in the state, and the payment takes immediate effect.
The decision was revealed after a meeting between Governor Abiodun, represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Tokunbo Talabi, and the leadership of the Organized Labour in Ogun State, comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), and the Joint Negotiating Council (JNC), to discuss the implementation of the new minimum wage.
The governor, who spoke through the SSG, said that no worker in the state should earn less than N77,000 starting from the month of October.
Prince Abiodun said his administration means well for the people of the state and has proactively taken steps to further ameliorate the suffering of the people.
The governor said he is in touch with the organized private sector to take a cue from the minimum wage policy, as their workers are not exempt from the economic realities in the country, to improve the living standards of people in the state holistically.
He noted that as such, the private sector should dialogue with their relevant stakeholders to arrive at a commensurate minimum wage for the sector while he will set up a monitoring team to see how it is implemented by the private sector to ensure no one is short-changed.
On his part, the State NLC Chairman, Comrade Hameed Benco, said the organized labour in the state is very pleased with the Governor having approved the N77,000 in consultation with labour leaders, which today is the highest in the country.
Benco noted that some states that have implemented the new minimum wage are paying N70,000, while some pay N70,250 or less, adding that the other sectorial salaries will be affected accordingly.
He also mentioned that the government has graciously approved the submission of labour that the new basic salary should not be taxed.
In the same vein, Akeem Lasisi of the TUC and his counterpart, Comrade Isa Olude of the JNC, commended the government for being worker-friendly, while they noted that consequential adjustments for pensioners and other matters will be announced after due consultation with the relevant stakeholders.
In his reaction, Ogun State Head of Service, Kehinde Onasanya, said the approval of the generous minimum wage for workers underscores the responsiveness and sensitivity of the Governor and the government to the plight of the workers and the general populace of the state.
Onasanya expressed optimism that the gestures by the government will further boost the morale of the workers in committing themselves to the implementation of the government’s policies.
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Anambra Chapter has condemned gruesome murder of its member, Mr Ifeanyi-Rolex Iloakasia.Iloakasia, a member of Otuocha Bar was killed alongside his client in Nanka, Orumba North Local Government Area as they were returning from court sitting in Ekwulobia High Court on May 15.
The NBA, in a statement signed by K. G. Abonyi, Chairman, Committee of Chairmen and Secretaries of NBA Anambra, described the mysterious attack as a “blatant assault” on the legal profession and the rule of law. They said that the NBA, Anambra Chapter, was deeply grieved and aggrieved by the ‘senseless” killing, especially as the tragic loss of Awa P. Awa, former Vice Chairman of Ihiala Branch of the NBA, remained fresh in their memories.Committee of Chairmen and Secretaries of NBA Anambra, directed all lawyers to boycott all court sittings in the state from May 20 to May 21 in protest against the murder of their colleague.According to the lawyers, justice must be served, and we demand that the relevant authorities leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of truth and accountability.“We appreciate the swift response of the Commissioner of Police, Anambra who promptly visited the crime scene for an on-the-spot assessment and directed the commencement of preliminary investigations into the murder.“However, we urge the Commissioner of Police, DSS, and other law enforcement agencies to intensify efforts to ensure that the perpetrators do not evade justice.“Speedy action is crucial in identifying and apprehending those responsible for this horrific crime,“Too many lawyers have been sacrificed to insecurity in this state and the legal profession cannot thrive under an atmosphere of fear and insecurity,” it saidThe NBA called on Gov. Chukwuma Soludo to revamp and strengthen security operations across the state to prevent such tragic occurrences in the future.(NAN)
Dr Adedamola Dada, outgoing Medical Director of Federal Medical Centre, Ebute Metta, said the hospital exported its best practices to over 60 hospitals in five years. Dada, describing the feat as his greatest achievement as Medical Director, shared this at a media parley organised to highlight his achievements and challenges in office.
He was first appointed on July 2, 2017. He said more than 70 hospitals nationwide had adopted the electronic medical records pioneered by the centre. “We are the first public hospital to become fully paperless in clinical operations. In five years, we have mentored 60 hospitals on deploying electronic systems. “We did the mentoring at no cost, believing it would positively impact healthcare delivery across the country. “These include tertiary, secondary and state hospitals. We want them to serve Nigerians well by implementing the system effectively,” he said. The Medical Director noted the hospital expanded services using five pillars adopted at the start of his tenure. He listed the pillars as staff motivation, improved service quality, sound financial management, technology adoption, and infrastructural development. Dada said the hospital grew from 72 beds to 450, now has a 16-bed ICU, and increased from one to 20 baby incubators. He added that the hospital now has 12 theatre suites, over 500 patient monitors linked to a central system, and 16 dialysis machines from none initially. According to him, 4,000 to 5,000 new patients register monthly, and expanded services continue to attract more people to the facility. “We’ve restored Nigerians’ confidence in public healthcare, thanks to the staff’s dedication and commitment,” Dada stated. He identified the COVID-19 pandemic as one of the most difficult periods during his leadership. “There were many challenges, but COVID-19 stood out. It coincided with the hospital’s highest number of deliveries,” he recalled. “Many pregnant women came from other hospitals where they couldn’t access care during the pandemic,” he explained. He also recalled the EndSARS period as tough. “I slept in the hospital for seven days with other staff due to restricted movement,” he said. (NAN)
President Bola Tinubu on Friday reaffirmed the commitment of his administration to roundly countering insurgency in the country.The president gave the assurance when he received a delegation of the Charismatic Bishops Conference of Nigeria led by Archbishop Chivir Chianson, its General Secretary, on Friday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Tinubu, represented by Mr Daniel Bwala, his Special Adviser on Policy Communications, stressed that he would not condone any form of evil against the citizenry. He said the security agencies were ready with renewed commitment to restore safety and security to every part of the country, and that the fight against insecurity would be holistic.“This administration is committed to addressing insecurity and will not tolerate any form of evil.“Crime is crime and has no religious or tribal colouration.“The security forces have fresh marching orders to deal decisively with all criminal activities.“We are engaging with state governors to address root causes of insecurity.“It may exist to a certain degree but rest assured that we are committed to ensuring citizens can pursue their dreams in a secured environment,” Tinubu said.He stressed the need for a national consensus to deal effectively with the scourge without politicising it.Tinubu also told the delegation that the economic reforms undertaken by his administration were yielding positive results as revealed by various economic.He urged the members of the team to continue to support his administration to ensure that the economic progress being witnessed continued.In his remarks, Chianson said the members of the delegation were at the State House to express their concern on the state of the nation.He, however, commended Tinubu for the various landmark reforms instituted by his administration aimed at improving the welfare of Nigerians.The clergyman cited the recent approval of the recruitment and deployment of forest guards to secure the country’s forest reserves.He said it was a step in the right direction, which would go a long way in checkmating the obnoxious activities of criminal elements operating in the forests.Chianson also lauded Tinubu for the fairness in his appointments as they were devoid of any religious leaning.“The Church in Nigeria is impressed with his appointments so far.“The choice of Sen. George Akume as Secretary to the Government of the Federation, a Christian, was particularly appreciated as a sign of positive change.“We will continue to support President Tinubu’s administration, as we believe in the Renewed Hope agenda,” Chianson said.The meeting was also attended by Archbishop James Maljit, Deputy National President North, Archbishop Joseph Jatau Yari, National Vice-President North West, Archbishop Alexander Nyoonkyeh, Overseer of Benue Province and Bishop David Gyang, Overseer of Plateau Province among others. (NAN)
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